Arizona's oldest Mormon temple will close in May 2018 for two years of renovations.

The Mesa temple, near Main Street and Mesa Drive, opened in 1927 and underwent significant renovations in the 1970s.

Officials with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints would not provide details about the scope and cost of the upgrades and repairs.

They also declined to say whether the popular Christmas lights display outside the temple will continue during the closure, saying more information would be available as the project draws nearer.

Arizona has 423,056 LDS church members and five temples, with a sixth nearing completion in Tucson, according to the church. Temples are located in Mesa, Gilbert, northwest Phoenix, Snowflake and the Gila Valley.

Temples are different from chapels, where Mormons attend Sunday services and where anyone is welcome to worship. Temples are where marriages and other sacred ordinances are held.

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The Mesa Arizona Temple in 1927 at the time was the third largest in the LDS church and the largest outside of Utah.
About 10,000 people gathered for opening ceremonies when the temple in Mesa opened. It was the first in Arizona. “A silvery sun appeared, radiant over over hazy mountains. The great choir was standing. A hush settled over the multitude,” the Republican reported. Heber J. Grant, president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was on hand for the ceremonies. Arizona Republic Archive

In 1975, The Mesa Arizona Temple was open to the public from March 19 to April 3 to give people a look inside after remodeling had been completed. Here, the baptismal font rests on the backs of oxen. The 12 oxen represent the 12 tribes of ancient Israel. Arizona Republic Archive

Temples throughout Arizona

The church will hold a public open house following the refurbishments, allowing people outside the faith a rare opportunity to view the inside of the temple. After a rededication ceremony, it will be closed to members only, like all Mormon temples.

The public open house of the Gilbert temple, which opened in 2014, generated 400,000 visitors in about a month.